Steering-wheel.



` A. G. MUP'IERSN,

STEERING- WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED Nov.1u. 1907.

963,24@ Patented July 5,1910.

' ARTHUR G. MCPHERSON, 0F HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS.

' STEERING-WHEEL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR G. MoPiiiinsoN, a citizen of the United States, residin at Highland Park, county of Lake, an State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering- Wheels, of which vthe following is a specification'. i l

This invention relates to improvements in steering wheels particularly adapted for use ce, and the with inot'or vehicles and-the li primary object of the same is to provide an improved wheel of this character so `constructedl that fthe wheel `is adapted to receive aheati'ng fluid whereby the wheel may beheated. l

A further object is to provide improved 4means for regulating the supply for heating fiuid tothe wheel whereby the temperature of the wheel may be A further object is to provide an improved device of this character. `which is simple,

durable-,and cheap in construction, and eilt,

cient .and-'effective in operation. l /f To the attainment Vof these endsand the accomplishment` of other new and useful objects, as will a pear, the invention consists in the features o novelty in the construction, combinationand arrangement of the several parts 'hereinafter more `fully described and claimed and 4shown in the accompanyingdrawing, illustrating I an exeinplification of the invention and in which- Figure lis a detail sectional view, partly broken away, of'an'iniproved device of this character' constructed in accordance with i the principles of-this invention. Fi 2 is a detail sectional view on line 2-2 of ig. l.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 10 designates the rini of the wheel which may be constructed of any suit- .able materialysuch as metal, and is hollow to form a fluid chamber, and 11 designates a suitable heat insulating coi'ering for the chamber which may be constructed of any suitable material, such as wood r other noniinal lnon-conductor of heat. The wheel is su ported and held in Position by means of a liollow steering sha t 12, thc up er extremity of which is secured tothe hu 13 of the wheel and is adapted to be rotated by thc wheel in the ordinary manner to steer the vehicle. --Tlie shaft 12 is supported in the usual manner, not necessary to illustrate, and is provided with :in apertuie 14 extend-' ing through the side thereof at any suitable Specification of Letters Patent. Application tiled November 18, 1907. Serial No. 402,665.

Y' extends beyond the extremity of t shaft 19 and secured to .the extieinities'of. regulated or controlled.

.Patent-ea July 5, i910.

point throughout its len th. Arranged-bef tween the upper endof t ie shaft 12 and the rim or chamber 10 is a tubular nieinber'or pipe 415 which forms a communication be tween the shaft 12 and the chamber l0.

hub 13 of the wheel is provided with a,

chamber 1G, which is preferably located above and ont `'of communication withthe -shaft 12 and a pipe or tube 17 is arranged to forni communication between the chamber or rim 10 and the chamber 16. l

Arranged to extend through the shaft 12 is a throttle shaft 18 and a 4sparker shaft 19 which 'telescope with each other and the throttle shaft 18 is hollow with 'the upper extremity 20 thereof closed in any suitable" manner. The throttle shaft 18 preferably ie sparker these shafts are the ordinaryoperatiiig ar'i'ns 21, 22, which are located a( distance beyond the closed extremity 20, and

. acent the steerl'` ing wheel, as usual. 'ihe throttle shaft 18 provided with a valve seat Q'locateda short,

adjacent the chamber 16 of the steeringf` wheel, and a suitable valve 24, preferably the form of a screw threaded member, is

provided for controlling the valve opening.

'lhis valve is preferably mounted to extend through the closed extremity -20 of the throttlc shaft and provided with a suitable i operating head or handle Q5, hy'nieans of which thc valveI may be adjusted to open oi" close the valve opening 23. 'Ihe throttle. and sparkcr shafts are provided with registering apcrtures 2G, which fornicommunication between the chalutier 1G. in the'liub 134 of the steeringl wheel and the throttle Shaft 18 above the valve scat or opening 23.

The throttle shaft 18 maybe connected.

with any suitable source of heated fluid supply but in theprcscnt exemplificalion of' the invention it is shown as being IconnectedV with a suitable pipe 27. which leadsironi the exhaust port of the engine so that the exhaust vapor or fluid therefrom will into the throttle shaft 18 and when the valve 24 is unseated, as shown in the figure, the. fluid will pass through the valve opening and be 'discharged into the chamber .16 in thc hub 13 of the steering wheel through the apertures 26, and will "pass from the cham-` ber 16 through thc pipe or tube 17 and into the rim or chamber 10. The fluid will make its escape from this chamber through the tube or pipe .15 into the tubular steering pass shaft 12 youtside of the throttle shaft 18 and will make its escape from the shaft.12 through the aperture 14. Thus it will be seen that when the valve 24 is unseated, the

fluid willcirculate through the steering wheel in the direction indicated by the arrows and when it is desired to regulatethe supply, the valve 24 may be accordingly lith this construction it will bev seen that the opera-tion of the throttle and'sparker shafts will not be interfered with.

4 ny suitablemeans may be provided fori connecting the pipe 27 whichleadsfrom the enfrine to the throttle shaft 18. A suitable an efficient means for .accomplishing this purpose comprlses a coupling 28 to which one end of the shaft 27 1s connected. The other end of the couplingis provided with a suitable threaded recess 29 having a seat 30 therein, upon which latter the flared ex.

'tremity 31 of the throttle shaft '18 is adapted to rest. vSuitable packing material 32 may .be placed within the recess 29l upon the extrexnit l31 of the throttle shaft, and a nut or bus ing 33 provided with exterior screw threads ,adapted to engage the threads in the recess 29 may be employed for preventing .displacement of the parts,'and yet allow the steering shaft 12 to be rotated with respect to the couplin Obviously any ot er fluid may be employed for heating the steering wheel, such for instance as the water which is used to cool the engine and which has become heated. In this event the pipe 27 instead of leading from the exhaust port'of the engine `may bejconnected to the outlet ofthe coolinfr chamber of the engine.

f desired, the wheel may be provided with a web 34 for protectiner the pipes or tubes 15 and l17, and in or er to prevent the apertures 2G in the sparker and throttle shafts from being closed when the shafts are rotated with respect-to each other, one

Aof the shafts, preferably the throttle shaft 18, is provided with a circumferential groove 26 which communicates with the apertures- 26 and is always in register with the apertures 26 in the sparker shaft.

In order that the invention might be fully understood by those skilled in the art, the details ofthe foregoing embodiment thereof have been thus speclfically described but What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentis- 1. The combination with a. tubular steering shaft, of a -steering Wheel rigidlyV secured thereto, said wheel being provided with fluid chambers in its rim and hub portions and witha passage connecting said chambers, a smaller'tubular shaft mounted within and'. forming 'an annular space in said steering shaft, said smaller tubular afghan discharging ina) said hub fluid chamber, and a tubular connection between said `annular 'space and the rim fluid chamber.

2. The combination of a tubularshaft, a steering wheel secured thereto, said wheel being provided with a hollow rim and a hub fluid chamber in communication with the hollow rim, a smaller tubular shaft concentrically arranged withinthe'first said tubular shaft to provide an annular passage for luid,said smaller shaft beingprovided with a valved assage in communication with said hub fliiid chamberand a4 valve mounted in the `end of said smaller shaft and coaxial therewith, said valve being movable axially to control said passa c.

3. The combination of a p uralit of tubularshafts coneentrically arrange theinncrmost being provided with a valved passage and the outermost having its walls spaced from the next smaller to form an annular channel, va hollow rimmed steering wheel rigidly secured to the outermost shaft,

said wheel being provided with a hub'having a fluid chamber therein and said `nnerl most shaft being provided with a continuously open passage intosaid hub fluid chamber, a tubeV connecting said fluid chamber with the hollow rim and 'another tube connecting the hollow rim with the annular l 5. The combination with a tubular steering shaft and a steering wheel rigidly cured thereto, said wheel being provided with a hollow rim, a fluid chamber in the hub thereof and a tube connecting said chamber to the hollow rim, of a tubular steering shaft upon which said wht-. is mounted, a smaller tubular shaft arranged within the steering shaft and forming an annular passageway for fluid between the walls of said shafts, said smallershaft being provided with a valved outlet' discharging into the hub lluidchamber, and a tube connecting the hollow` rim'with said amiular passageway independently' of said hub fluid i chamber.

6. The combination of a tubular shaft, a4 hollow steering Wheel rigidly secured there to, a smaller tubular shaft arranged to provide an annular passage for iuidfwithin the first said shaft, said smaller shaft'being rotatable relatively .to-the larger shaft and providedv with a. passagein communication with said .hollow wheel, andy a 4valve movable axially to control'said passa e.

7. The combination" of a' steermg wheel providedw'ith 'a hub and having a fluid chamber in its ring a tubular steering shaft l connected tothe hub and having communication with the chamber for receiving the fluid discharcd from -the chamber, a cham- 'ber withinV t `e hub, said chamber. having communication with the chamber in the rim of the wheel, and a-tubular member within' and spaced from' the steering shaft and movable independently with respect thereto,

said member having a source of fluid suppl14 and discharging into the chamber in the 15 hub, means for controlling the discharge loutlet of the said tubular member and means `for moving the said' member. y

In testimony whereof I have 'signed my i 'name to thisspecification, in the presence 20 FRANCIS A.\HorKINs. 

